Outside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, a Chinese brand car produced by the Chinese Empire "squeaked" and stopped at the gate outside the palace, and the door of the sedan was immediately pushed open. I have a message to the Prime Minister that I have a very urgent matter and need to see His Majesty the Emperor immediately! ”

At this time, it was already past 10 o'clock in the evening in Japan, and the fact that Prime Minister Saionji Gongwang wanted to report to Emperor Meiji was that war broke out between the Chinese Empire and Russia in the morning.

Japan was relatively late to hear of the outbreak of war between China and Russia, which was due to the fact that Japan's intelligence forces in the Chinese Empire and in Russia were relatively weak. Needless to say, Russia is separated from Japan by a huge Chinese Empire, and Japan has not sent much intelligence force to Russia, and in the Chinese Empire, Japan's originally huge intelligence department in China has been frantically attacked by the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Secret Service of the Chinese Empire for many years, and has been in a slump in recent years.

The news of the outbreak of war between China and Russia was that the Japanese ambassador to Russia was informed by the Russians that the Chinese Empire had launched a large-scale attack on Russia, and immediately sent a telegram back to Japan.

After Prime Minister Saionji received this astonishing news, he immediately asked his subordinates to learn about the progress of the Sino-Russian war through various channels, and at the same time, Saionji Gongwang took a car to the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to report this news that was a surprise to Japan.

Soon after, Japanese Prime Minister Saionji Konobu was summoned into the palace, and Emperor Meiji sat on a chair. Yawning and asking the Saiyuan Temple Gongwang, "Prime Minister, it's so late." What's the urgency? ”

Saionji Gongwang said with a happy look on his face: "Your Majesty the Emperor, God bless our Great Japanese Empire. Just this morning, a war has broken out between the Chinese Empire and Russia, and the opportunity for our Great Japanese Empire to take revenge is very likely to appear! ”

Emperor Meiji, who had already fallen asleep and was called up again, was sleepy-eyed and still yawning, but when he heard the words of Prime Minister Saionji Gongwang, the sleepiness suddenly disappeared without a trace. His eyes lit up suddenly, and the man stood up with a "whoosh", and he asked loudly with excitement on his face, "What?" Prime Minister, what do you say? I heard you right, right? Did the Chinese Empire and Russia really fight? ”

Xiyuan Temple Gongwang nodded affirmatively and said: "Your Majesty the Emperor, war has broken out between the Chinese Empire and Russia, this news is absolutely true, it is a telegram sent back by our ambassador of the Japanese Empire to Russia, which the Russians took the initiative to tell our ambassador to Russia. ”

Emperor Meiji clenched his right hand into a fist, waved it fiercely, and said with a look of surprise: "This is really good! Amaterasu has appeared! The Chinese Empire and Russia finally fought. I've been waiting for a war between the two countries for a long time, but how is the war going now? What was the reaction of Britain and France? ”

Xiyuan Temple Gongwang said: "Your Majesty the Emperor, there is no news on the specific battle situation. The Russians did not tell our ambassador to Russia about the specific situation of the war, and the intelligence forces of our Empire of Japan in the Chinese Empire and Russia were too weak to provide us with any useful information for a while. Now it is only known that it was the Chinese Empire that suddenly provoked a war against Russia. In addition, the minister has asked people to go through other countries to see if they can learn about the specific situation of the war. What was the reaction of Britain and France to this war. We don't know at the moment, but I think that Britain and France will not let Russia go, and in that case, the Chinese Empire and the Entente Britain, France and Russia will fall into a protracted war of attrition, and the opportunity for our Great Japanese Empire will come! ”

After the Sino-Russian border conflict, Emperor Meiji has decided to expand Japan's military strength, and up to Emperor Meiji, down to ordinary Japanese civilians, have begun to tighten their belts, save funds and materials, for military expansion, there is no way, who makes Japan not rich financially, and the Japanese are not willing to be lonely, so they can only buckle things out from between their teeth.

Out of the desire to make trouble for the Chinese Empire, the Americans took out a huge sum of $60 million to buy Japan's national bonds, thus giving the Japanese the confidence to expand their military strength at once, and not only prepared to turn the 30 light divisions they had formed into regular divisions equipped with the same equipment as other divisions and regiments, but also placed orders for three Amagi-class dreadnought battleships and many other types of warships for Japanese shipyards.

All of this Japan did so that when war broke out between the Chinese Empire and Russia, Japan would have the opportunity to regain everything that Japan had lost, including land, money, and dignity, in the Chinese Empire.

However, the sudden outbreak of war between China and Russia surprised Emperor Meiji, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful, Japan's military expansion plan had just begun, and it would be good if the Chinese Empire could provoke a war with Russia a year and a half later, so that Japan would have more confidence to intervene in this war.

Emperor Meiji and Prime Minister Saionji began to discuss the outbreak of war between the Chinese Empire and Russia, and how Japan should choose, whether to immediately take action against the Chinese Empire, or to endure it first, let Russia and the Chinese Empire fight for a while, and consume the power of the Chinese Empire.

While the two were still discussing, there was a report from the palace guards, Foreign Minister Yoshimoto Tomobayashi, Minister of War Katsura Taro, and Navy Minister Togo Heihachiro came to the outside of the palace together and asked to see His Majesty the Emperor.

Emperor Meiji immediately ordered the guards to bring these three of his confidants to the palace where he and the Saionji Konozo were located.

After a while, Yoshimoto Tomobayashi, Katsura Taro, and Togo Heihachiro came to the place where Emperor Meiji and Saionji Koboshi were located, and Foreign Minister Yoshimoto Yubayashi said as soon as they met: "Your Majesty the Emperor, from the British, we have received the latest situation of the war between the Chinese Empire and Russia. ”

Emperor Meiji immediately asked, "How is the war going now?" It should be that Russia is at a disadvantage! After all, this time the Chinese Empire launched a surprise attack on Russia, which was definitely enough for the Russians to drink a pot. ”

Foreign Minister Yoshimoto Yubayashi nodded and said, "Indeed, as His Majesty the Emperor predicted, according to the information received from the British, early this morning. The Chinese Empire's troops on the Sino-Russian border 10 minutes after the official declaration of war on Russia. launched an all-out attack on Russia, which caught the Russians by surprise. The more than 2 million Russian army troops on the border line have almost all been defeated, except for a few Russian border cities, the Russian army is still holding on, and most of the other Russian border cities have been controlled by the troops of the Chinese Empire. ”

Emperor Meiji shook his head and said helplessly: "The military strength of the Chinese Empire is much stronger than that of Russia, and it is a surprise attack, so it is strange that the Russians can hold on!" ”

After a pause, Emperor Meiji suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "That bastard Lin Daxin is really shameless. What is the difference between declaring war 10 minutes before the attack is launched and not declaring war! It's really done**, and I want to set up a chastity archway, I haven't seen a more shameless person than that bastard Lin Daxin! ”

Emperor Meiji's hatred of Lin Daxin is definitely hated to the bones, and the usual swearing of Lin Daxin has become a part of Emperor Meiji's usual life, and even these Japanese ministers have adapted to the habit of His Majesty the Emperor, if Emperor Meiji no longer curses Lin Daxin, they should not be used to it.

War Minister Katsura Taro said at this time, "Your Majesty the Emperor. The Chinese Empire has started too early against Russia this time, and the expansion plan of our Imperial Japanese Army's 30 new divisions has just begun. It can be close to 3 million, and it is completely possible to take the opportunity to wage war against the Chinese Empire, but it is a pity that the expansion of our Great Japanese Empire has not yet been completed. It's a pity that we don't have the strength to provoke a war for the time being! ”

Admiral Minister Heihachiro Togo has his own opinions. After Katsura Taro finished speaking, he said with a serious face, "Your Majesty the Emperor." Although Russia was passive at the beginning of the war, Russia was a European power after all, and the number of standing armies even exceeded that of the Chinese Empire in the near future, and Russia would definitely not be easily defeated, and Russia had Britain and France behind it, and this war was likely to become protracted, which would make the Chinese Empire continue to bleed in this war with Russia, and when the Chinese Empire was exhausted, It's time for our Great Japanese Empire to take revenge! We, the Great Japanese Empire, should be patient for the time being and wait for the right time! ”

Prime Minister Saionji Gongwang said in agreement: "Dongxiang-kun is reasonable, Britain and France will definitely not ignore Russia, and will definitely do everything possible to support Russia, and there is even a great chance that Britain and France will go into battle shirtless, if this war with Russia can drain the blood of the Chinese Empire, our Great Japanese Empire will take the opportunity to launch an attack on the Chinese Empire, and there will be hope for revenge!" ”

Emperor Meiji also agreed very much with the words of Togo Heihachiro and Saionji Gongwang in his heart, after all, the strength of the Chinese Empire is there, that is, now that the Chinese Empire and Russia are fighting, if Japan immediately starts to attack the Chinese Empire, there is really some rhythm of looking for their own death, you must know that the war between the Chinese Empire and Russia is mainly a battle on land, the powerful Royal Navy of the Chinese Empire is still basking in the sun in various naval bases, the Russian Navy is far away in Europe, and the Royal Navy of the Chinese Empire is not going to launch an expedition. Otherwise, it is not impossible that the Royal Navy of the Chinese Empire can only watch the excitement from the sidelines during most of this war, and even during the entire war.

In this way, if Japan dares to make a move now, it is equivalent to directly facing the imperial navy of the entire Chinese Empire, and with the strength of the combined fleet of the Japanese navy, the final result is really not optimistic. Although the Meiji Emperor was sometimes a little impulsive, it didn't mean that the Meiji Emperor's IQ was low, he could still distinguish the stakes, and when he heard that the war broke out between the Chinese Empire and Russia, he wanted to declare war on the Chinese Empire immediately, but reason told him that it was absolutely impossible.

Emperor Meiji nodded and said: "The words of the Prime Minister and Togo-kun are very reasonable, according to the current strength of the Chinese Empire, even if a major war breaks out with Russia, it can also draw enough forces to deal with our Great Japanese Empire, not to mention that the navy of the Chinese Empire will not join the war for a while in the war against Russia, unless Britain and France also join the war." ”

After a pause, Emperor Meiji said to Prime Minister Saionji Konozo and Foreign Minister Yoshimoto Yubayashi: "Now that Russia has been attacked by the Chinese Empire, I believe that Britain and France must also hope that our Great Japanese Empire can contain more forces of the Chinese Empire on the other side, you go to the British and the French to see if you can give us more loans, or even free aid, as long as Britain and France strongly support our Great Japanese Empire, our Great Japanese Empire will definitely carry out a larger-scale military expansion, When the time is right, they will declare war on the Chinese Empire, and I believe that the current British and French must also be willing to see that our Great Japanese Empire will declare war on the Chinese Empire. ”

Prime Minister Saionji Konozo and Foreign Minister Yoshimoto Tomobayashi both nodded, the reason why Britain and France have always supported Japan in the past is to let Japan contain the Chinese Empire, and now their Entente allies have been attacked by the Chinese Empire, and Britain and France certainly hope that Japan, which contains the Chinese Empire, can play its due role.

Emperor Meiji said: "In the current situation, we in the Great Japanese Empire can only endure for a while, wait for the right opportunity, and then take revenge, what do you have any opinions?" ”

Admiral Minister Heihachiro Togo said: "Your Majesty the Emperor, if we launch a war against the Chinese Empire in the future, sea supremacy is very important to our Great Japanese Empire, without sea supremacy, our Imperial Japanese Army's land forces can only be trapped on the three islands of Japan, and it is impossible to attack the mainland of the Chinese Empire at all, and according to the strength of our Combined Fleet, it is to wait for more than a year for three Amagi-class dreadnought battleships and a large number of other types of warships to join the Combined Fleet for service, There is also a huge disparity in the strength of our Imperial Chinese Navy, so the Minister suggested that only when Britain and France join the war and consume a large amount of the strength of the Imperial Chinese Navy in naval warfare, can we take action against that enemy! If Britain and France do not directly join this war......"

Emperor Meiji frowned and asked, "What if the British and French don't join this war?" ”

Heihachiro Togo replied categorically: "If Britain and France do not join this war, the minister suggests that our Great Japanese Empire still need to continue to endure until one day, our Great Japanese Empire's navy can match the navy of the Chinese Empire." (To be continued......)